paid to the Irish Exchequer in each year, as mentioned above, (k) is to consist of the following items:

(a) Such sum as may be determined by the Joint Exchequer Board to represent the net cost to the Imperial Exchequer of Irish services at the time of the passing of the Act. (1)

(b) A sum of £500,000 diminishing in each year after the third year of payment by the sum of £50,000 until it is reduced to the sum of £200,000.

(c) A sum equal to the proceeds as determined by the Joint Exchequer Board of any Irish taxes imposed in Ireland by the Irish Parliament under the powers conferred by the Act. (m)

Finance. Payment and Calculation of the Transferred Sum.The transferred sum is to be paid to the Irish Exchequer at the time, manner, and subject to the regulations directed by the Joint Exchequer Board, subject to the following reductions:

(1) The transferred sum is to be reduced in each year by such amount (if any) as is determined by the Board to represent the amount by which the proceeds of any Imperial tax is diminished in that year by reason of any reduction or discontinuance of the tax by the Irish Parliament. (n)

(k) See ante, p. 428.

(1) In determining this amount the Board are to treat the whole of the death duty grant payable under the Finance Act, 1894, s. 19, and of the Exchequer contribution payable under the Purchase of Land (Ireland) Act, 1891, s. 5, and of the agricultural grant payable under the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, as part of the cost to the Imperial Exchequer of Irish services without taking into account any diminution of the grants owing to their being included in the guarantee fund. 4 & 5 Geo. V. c. 90, s. 18 (2).

(m) Government of Ireland Act, 1914, s. 14 (2). Provision is made by s. 24 enabling the Board to make equitable adjustments with a view to attributing to Ireland any proceeds of taxes collected in Great Britain but properly attributable to Ireland, and vice versâ, and to meeting cases where the rate of a tax or other conditions are different in the two countries. Subject to such adjustment the Board are to treat the proceeds of any Imperial or Irish tax collected in Ireland, as the proceeds of the tax in Ireland.

(n) Ib. s. 17 (1)(2). In the first year, pending the determination by the Board of the sum to be paid, the Treasury are authorised to make such payments to the Irish Exchequer as the Board directs on account of the sum the Lord Lieutenant may also be authorised by the Board during a period of three months from the meeting of the first Irish parliament to make any payments from the Irish Exchequer necessary to bring the Act into operation. Ib. s. 46.

(2) If in any financial year the proceeds of any Irish tax being an addition to any Imperial customs duty, Income tax, or death duty, exceeds one-tenth of the duty as levied in Ireland as an Imperial tax for the same period, the amount of the excess is not to be treated as part of the Irish tax, and the amount payable to the Irish Exchequer in respect of the proceeds of the Irish tax is to be reduced accordingly. (o)

(3) Where an independent tax is imposed by the Irish Parliament, the Joint Exchequer Board must in each year lay before the Imperial House of Commons a report as to yield and cost of collection of the tax. If that House passes a resolution that the additional expense caused to the Imperial Exchequer is excessive compared with the yield of the tax, and that the whole or part of the cost of collection should be deducted from the transferred sum, such sum is to be deducted in accordance with regulations made by the Treasury. (p)

(4) The charge on the Guarantee Fund under Irish Land Purchase Acts in respect of certain sums and arrears (q) is to cease,

(0) 4 & 5 Geo. V. c. 90, s. 17 (3). The proceeds of any tax are to be the proceeds as determined by the Board, and the provision does not apply where the excess is solely due to reduction of the rate of the Imperial tax. lb. (a) (b). In the case of variation of an Imperial tax by the Irish Parliament by way of addition, or reduction or discontinuance, provision is made by the Act as to the manner in which the Board is to determine the amount of the proceeds of the Irish tax (in the case of variation by addition), or the amount by which the Imperial tax is diminished (in the case of reduction or discontinuance). This is to be done by calculating the excess over, or the deficiency below the amount the tax would have produced in Ireland if not varied. Where a variation by addition causes a deficiency below, and not an excess over that sum, the amount of the deficiency is to be deducted from the transferred sum according to Treasury regulations. Ib. s. 17 (4). The withdrawal in whole or in part of an exemption from a tax is to be treated as the imposition of, an addition to, or increase of the tax, and the grant or extension of an exemption as a reduction of a tax, and other alterations by which the proceeds of the tax are increased or diminished are to be treated accordingly. Ib. s. 25.

(p) Ib. s. 17 (5).

(q) The sums specified are (1) sums which owing to the deficiency of the Irish Land Purchase Account are paid out of the Consolidated Fund on account of the dividends and sinking fund payments of Irish guaranteed land stock under the Purchase of Land (Ireland) Act, 1891, s. 1; (2) sums paid out of the consolidated fund owing to the deficiency of the Irish land purchase fund on account of dividends on stock under the Irish Land Act, 1903, s. 29; (3) arrears of annual payments under s. 36, (4) of the last mentioned Act. See Ib. s. 18 (1).

and any such sums or arrears (r) which would have been made good out of the Guarantee Fund are to be made good by deductions from the transferred sum under Treasury regulations. (s)

(5) Various other deductions will be found mentioned in their appropriate places. (t)

The transferred sum is to be increased in the following

cases :

When any reserved service is transferred to the Government of Ireland, such sum as the Board determines to represent the saving to the Imperial Exchequer by reason of the transfer, is to be added to the transferred sum. (u)

Finance. Customs and Excise.-Articles brought into Great Britain from Ireland or vice versâ are to be deemed to be articles exported or imported for the purposes of the forms to be used and the information to be furnished under the Customs Consolidation Act, 1876, and the Revenue Act, 1909, s. 4; also for the purpose of any duty or drawback payable under the Government of Ireland Act, 1914, s. 16 (which are next treated of), but not for any other purpose. (x)

The following provision is made by the Act as to customs duty. Where the duty is levied in one country but not in the other, or is levied in both but at a higher rate in the one than in the other, duty is to be charged, and drawback allowed in respect of articles produced, prepared, or manufactured abroad as follows:

(1) The customs duty is to be charged on any such articles brought into the one country from the other as if they were articles imported from abroad. This provision is, however, subject to the exception noted below. (y)

(r) Not being sums or arrears on account of a deficiency in respect of the issue of stock, or bills, or bonds at a discount, or in respect of interest or sinking fund which are a charge on that portion of the Ireland development grant which forms part of the cash portion of the guarantee fund under the Irish Land Act, 1909, s. 7.

(8) Government of Ireland Act, 1914, s. 18 (1).

(t) See post, pp. 435 note (j), 436, 438 note (b), 441, 443.

(u) Ib. s. 17 (6). Regard is to be had in determining the amount to the prospect of any increase or decrease in the cost of the service which may be expected to arise from causes other than administration. The sum may be fixed by the Board so as to vary during the first ten years after the transfer, but subject thereto is to be a definite sum. Ib. (x) Ib. s. 16 (1).

(y) Ib. s. 16 (2) (a). The exception is as follows: Except that in

(2) A drawback is to be allowed on any such articles sent from the one country into the other equal to the drawback which would be allowed upon the exportation of the articles from the country from which they are sent. (z)

As to excise the following provision is made by the Act:

Where an excise duty is levied in one country but not in the other, or is levied in both but at a higher rate in the one than in the other, duty is to be charged and drawback allowed in respect of articles produced, prepared, or manufactured in either country as follows:

(1) A customs duty equal to the amount of the excise duty levied on similar articles in the country into which they are brought is to be charged on such articles brought into one country from the other as if they were articles imported from abroad; or, if there is no such excise duty in the country from which they are sent, a duty equal to the drawback allowed on the exportation of similar articles manufactured or prepared in the country into which the article is brought; or, if there is no such drawback, a duty equal to the customs duty payable on the importation of a similar article into the country into which the article is brought. (a)

(2) A drawback is to be allowed on such articles sent from one country into the other equal to the amount of the excise duty levied in the country from which they are sent in cases where a drawback would be allowed on the exportation of the articles from that country; or, if no excise duty is levied

the case of articles produced abroad but manufactured or prepared in the country from which they are sent, the customs duty charged is to be (if the drawback which would be allowed on the exportation of similar articles from the country into which they are brought is less than the duty payable on importation) a duty equal to the drawback: and if the duty is payable in respect of any such articles on delivery from bond after manufacture or preparation in bond, the duty is to be equal to that which would have been paid under similar circumstances in respect of the same article in the country into which it is brought. Ib. (z) Ib. s. 16 (2) (b).

(a) Ib. s. 16 (3) (a). For the purpose of this and the following provision the excise duty on a licence to a manufacturer, the amount of which varies directly or indirectly according to the amount of the article manufactured, is to be treated as an excise duty on the article manufactured. Ib. (b).

in the country into which they are sent, a drawback equal to that allowed on exportation. (b)

These provisions as to customs and excise are not to affect any enactment under which articles deposited in a bonded warehouse without payment of duty may be transferred from one country to the other. (c)

Revision of Financial Arrangements.-If it appears to the Joint Exchequer Board that the Irish revenue (d) during any three successive years after the passing of the Act exceeded in each year the total cost of Irish services, and any services reserved for the time being, the Board is to present a report to that effect to the Treasury and the Lord Lieutenant, who are to cause a copy of the same to be laid before the Imperial and Irish Parliaments respectively (e).

The presentation of such a report is to be taken as a ground. for revision by the Imperial Parliament of the financial provisions of the Act, with a view to securing a proper contribution from Irish revenues to the common expenditure of the United Kingdom, and extending the powers of the Irish Government as to the imposition and collection of taxes. (f)

For the purpose of the financial revision there are to be summoned to the Imperial House of Commons such number of members of the Irish House of Commons as will make the representation of Ireland in the former House equivalent to that of Great Britain on the basis of population, and for the purposes of the revision the Irish members so summoned

(b) 4 & 5 Geo. V. c 90, s. 16 (3) (b). The proceeds of any customs duty charged in Ireland under these provisions are (to the extent to which they exceed the proceeds of the customs or excise duty which would have been chargeable in Great Britain) to be deemed to be the proceeds of a customs duty or excise duty levied as an Irish tax, according as the duty is charged in respect of a difference of customs duty or excise duty respectively; as to the balance they are to be deemed to be the proceeds of an Imperial tax. Ib. s. 16 (4).

(c) Ib. s. 16 (5).

(d) As made up of the following items: (1) the aggregate of the total proceeds of Imperial taxes in Ireland as determined by the Board; (2) the total proceeds of Irish taxes and any other money available in the year for the payment of Irish services, as so determined; (3) any share in any miscellaneous revenue of the United Kingdom to which the Board considers Ireland to be entitled.

(e) Ib. s. 26 (1).

(f) Ib. s. 26 (2).